August 21, 2002
2:40 PM Subscribe
John Walker's Blues is a track on Steve Earle's forthcoming album, Jerusalem, out on 24 September. In the song, Earle tries to get inside the head of the 'American Taliban'. The song has already ruffled a few feathers.
Steve Earle appeared on the 'Today' show earlier this week to talk about his reasons for writing the song. A transcript of the interview can be read here in a report that is not exactly sympathetic to Earle.
This post was deleted for the following reason:
There was a post about this about a month ago.
Reading the lyrics its clear he is singing from a perspective, he doesn't "compare lindh to jesus", he sings as lindh comparing himself to jesus. Its a huge difference, and one clearly lost on the nashville music industry.
Lauer: "Do, in your lyrics, in your opinion, you'll sing the song for us in a few minutes, in your opinion are the lyrics supportive of John Walker Lindh?"
Earle: "They're actually not. They're an attempt to get inside his head and sing the song from his viewpoint..."
There's a fine tradition of country songs sung from the perspective of "lost" individuals, I don't see a problem with this one. Do these idiots seriously think Earle thinks Lindh==Jesus? Just the new reactionary political correctness that you can't mention anything relating to The War except "God bless america" and "Kill the evil-doers".
posted by malphigian at 2:56 PM on August 21, 2002
Reading the lyrics its clear he is singing from a perspective, he doesn't "compare lindh to jesus", he sings as lindh comparing himself to jesus. Its a huge difference, and one clearly lost on the nashville music industry.
Lauer: "Do, in your lyrics, in your opinion, you'll sing the song for us in a few minutes, in your opinion are the lyrics supportive of John Walker Lindh?"
Earle: "They're actually not. They're an attempt to get inside his head and sing the song from his viewpoint..."
There's a fine tradition of country songs sung from the perspective of "lost" individuals, I don't see a problem with this one. Do these idiots seriously think Earle thinks Lindh==Jesus? Just the new reactionary political correctness that you can't mention anything relating to The War except "God bless america" and "Kill the evil-doers".
posted by malphigian at 2:56 PM on August 21, 2002
And in the great tradition of blow-hards who attempt to 'ban' records, they will succeed only in handing Steve Earle the most popular album he's released in two decades. And you know what? That's a-ok in my book!
posted by spilon at 3:05 PM on August 21, 2002
posted by spilon at 3:05 PM on August 21, 2002
I'm with Spilon. As long as there are censorship idiots running around like chickens with their heads cut off whenever something "tasteless" comes out, there will be a market for "tasteless" media. Kinda hilarious, imho.
posted by zekinskia at 3:09 PM on August 21, 2002
posted by zekinskia at 3:09 PM on August 21, 2002
Timing is everything. Perhaps tomorrow he'll release 'The Ballad of David Westerfield'.
posted by HTuttle at 3:14 PM on August 21, 2002
posted by HTuttle at 3:14 PM on August 21, 2002
It seems to me that Baker's just pissed because Today hasn't covered Toby Keith's song, which, to be fair, is a really, really bad song.
posted by mikrophon at 3:16 PM on August 21, 2002
posted by mikrophon at 3:16 PM on August 21, 2002
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posted by dig_duggler at 2:54 PM on August 21, 2002